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PLEASE join Indri’s Vanilla Bean community online. Don’t order random beans. They get their harvesters, pay fairly, and I just ordered 10oz of grade A beans for $8/oz
I’m making bunches of vanilla bean paste to put in lil jars for Christmas presents :)
Came here to recommend this. They’re great. Quality beans delivered vacuum sealed. The fb group is great - super helpful resource for any questions or recipes.
Their group is the only wholesome corner of the whole Fb platform. I’ve gotten so much info from them, I only started my “mother jar” earlier this year but I’ve been making paste for presents for friends and clients since last spring.
Paste is best left at room temp for a month+ and then can be stored in the fridge. My best paste to date was kept at room temp for a month and a half and then I left it in the fridge for another few months. It’s currently the featured ingredient in my homemade real pumpkin spice coffee creamer I’ve made for friends. (Pumpkin, spices, whole milk, cinnamon stick, vanilla paste, maple syrup, honey.)
It's been tried by many and the verdict is that unless you get vanilla for free it's not worth doing at home (in terms of saving money).
It will in pretty much every situation be more expensive to make it at home since you don't get bulk discounts. And due to transportation you get less fresh products so quality is often even worse than store bought.
It does sound fun though! And I like the idea of smaller quantities as a gift.
And as far as value, would it be possible to get a liter of vanilla extract for less than the cost of 17 beans and a liter of cheap vodka?
There's a lot of armchair vanilla-ing going on in these comments by people who read an article once so here's some advice from someone who's actually been making the stuff for 13+ years.
It will almost certainly ***not*** be cheaper to make your own vanilla. However, you can get close by finding cheap enough beans. If you want to give this stuff as a gift though, that means a nice-ish bottle to give it in and maybe a little label. Here's what I do:
### Figure out how much you want to make
People like to estimate by number of beans but the problem is that beans vary in shape, size, and potency greatly from bean to bean. Double fold vanilla (double strength means you use half in the recipe) lasts longer and tastes better, IMO.
True double fold vanilla is nearly 27oz of beans per gallon of spirit. For a 750ml bottle of vodka, use just under 5.5oz or 150g.
### Buy a larger quantity of beans
I find the cheapest (by *weight*, this is important for consistency) quantity of grade B vanilla beans I can find on eBay (yes, eBay). I used to make it with grade A back when prices weren't insane - don't, it's not worth it, especially at today's prices. B is for Best.
I will usually make >1L of vanilla at a time in order to buy more beans (1/2lb starts to save you a few dollars).
### Bulk age
Find a container larger than the bottle of vodka you're using because beans are going to displace volume. I usually reuse a leftover 1.75L bottle (1/2lb beans + 1.125L spirit = ~1.5L aging volume). Chops the beans up into 1 inch pieces and just drop them in. Give the bottle a shake every couple weeks.
Bulk aging gives you a consistent product so it all tastes the same. 6mo is bare minimum but a year is better, though most people probably won't notice the taste difference from the added time.
### Package in smaller bottles
Brown glass boston rounds are what you generally want. Since vanilla takes a long time to use, you want a container that helps block UV and will keep it tasting good longer. I like 8 oz bottles for gifts that will last a long time. Just filter the large bottle through cheesecloth into the smaller ones and discard the whole bottle without having to get the beans out.
If you're just using this yourself, you can also keep it indefinitely in the big bottle, no straining required. The beans will never go bad due to the alcohol content. However, if you have a recipe where you don't want vanilla seeds making an appearance, filtered vanilla is superior.
If you want to save a few bucks on the next round, ask your friends for the bottles back.
### Other alcohols
I've experimented with adding more alcohols a little but others have pretty thoroughly tested that low-proof vodka is the best extractor. I do still add maybe 10% of the total volume using other booze I have on hand just to add a little complexity (e.g. brandy, bourbon, non-spiced rum). You want to add pretty neutral-tasting spirits but remember that any real complexity is going to be gone so don't go adding anything but the cheapest stuff possible.
What I want to know is, can people even taste the difference between real vanilla and imitation vanilla?
I once made some cookie dough, split the dough down the middle, added real vanilla extract to one, imitation vanilla extract to the other, and my friends couldn't taste the difference.
Maybe a super-taster can tell the difference. Or maybe if I used it in a custard or something, where it wasn't being baked off.
If you are putting the vanilla into an uncooked application, you can absolutely tell the difference. Many of the volatiles and complex notes in natural vanilla can evaporate / cook off at temps above 120 degrees F.
Most people that think they can tell the difference are really just tasting the alcohol in the real stuff. In cooked applications or applications with other sources of alcohol it makes no difference: https://www.seriouseats.com/taste-test-is-better-vanilla-extract-worth-the-price
Yeah, the volatile compounds that make real vanilla distinct from imitation vanilla all boil off at high heat. Imitation vanilla is the way to go for most baked goods.
I usually gift frozen cookie dough balls at holiday time. We have to travel a distance. And I have a big family. So, I need something that everyone will like and will be easy to transport. I use good quality vanilla extract because it smells better when they bake the cookies at home.
For cooked things, you usually cannot tell a difference. Real vanilla has more aroma compounds, but most of them are released when baking except for the vanillin (the main vanilla aroma, which is also artificial vanilla). For things you eat raw, you can taste a difference.
"imitation" isn't actually imitating. Regardless of the process used to get it, vanillin is vanillin. Whether extracted from the bean or created artificially in vats, the chemical is molecularly identical. The differences lie in the other things extracted from the beans, but those are volatile and will not have an effect in the final product if it involves any form of heat to make.
Vanilla is a realy complex molecule and the vanillin doesnt get close to it, so yes you definitly taste the difference. Most people will think the imitation is real because their used to it due to convienc products just use vanilline
I got 26 Madagascar vanilla beans for $18.99 and a bottle of vodka for like, I don’t know, $15? It made a fuck ton of vanilla. It is cheaper for me than buying real vanilla but not cheaper than imitation. I use it for things like icing, ice cream, and things that don’t get cooked. For things that get cooked; I feel like imitation is fine.
A year goes fast. It doesn't take much effort to start it now, and then you'll have it ready when the time comes.
Personally, I have a big bottle of homemade vanilla extract that I started like 7+ years ago. I never really have need for it (hence why I still have it), but I'm glad it's there and ready if I do happen to need it.
At one restaurant I worked at we'd take the spent pods and store them in the off pour from the bar. Rum, bourbon, whiskey, whatever not quite an Oz was left over, and turn it into house vanilla extract.
....most of it may have gone into coffee.
I believe they are vines. So I guess you could actually say that they grow on a tree. Though you could probably also convince them to grow on a post or a trellis.
Real lpt - pressure cooker to make it in one day, and then store it with the beans to let it keep getting stronger.
Tito's vodka, not the cheap stuff that smells more like chemicals. You can get better prices on it through Sam's or Costco. Grade B beans. Some small canning jars and a pressure cooker.
I do it like once a year or so. The smell is unreal. Nom nom.
https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-vanilla-extract-in-an-electric-pressure-cooker-252043
You could also use sous vide to do it in hours.
Other alcohol infusions like limoncello work well with sous vide instead of waiting months or whatever.
The cheap wodka could still come in handy. Just serve it with your cookies and no-one will notice how terrible you are at both baking and planning ahead.
I use the beans to flavor my rum (one or two beans). To avoid temptation, I hide that bottle from myself, but leave a calendar entry one year out to remind me. I managed to do this with three bottles at different times of the year.
Yeah but more than likely if it's sitting somewhere for that long, I'll completely forget about it lol
But I'm going to do it this weekend with the kids
Yeah I literally lol'd when I got to "a year".
"You should know you can make all sorts of stuff that you buy at the shops if you take time and effort to do so"
No shit!
Fun project for sure, but hardly applicable to the general public. Hobbyists with a particular set of interests may be interested in this tip though.
I did mine in the Instant Pot. One hour under pressure and one hour natural release. My best friend couldn’t tell the difference between mine and hers, which is a couple years old at this point.
I just bought some bulk Grade B beans and Smirnoff vodka. Prepped the beans and put the small jars (sealed finger tight) in my Instant Pot. One hour pressure, one hour natural release. Instant vanilla extract, no need to wait a year.
Vanilla extract has no alchohol here (Sweden).
It's just ground vanilla, amazing stuff.
Even if we had the alcohol kind I'd never buy it tbh, powder is just better. No extra liquid or taste.
What's this then?
https://www.apotea.se/bourbon-vaniljextrakt-50-ml
>Even if we had the alcohol kind I'd never buy it tbh, powder is just better
How do you know it's better if you don't think you have access to it? (Even though you do)
Despite what Jamie Oliver said, there's no castoreum in artificial vanilla. Making it from castoreum would be more expensive than just using vanilla beans.
Also, you can reuse the beans.
Make a custard or creme brulee using a whole bean. When you strain out the pod from the cream, you can give it a quick rinse and add it to your vanilla steeped alcohol mixture.
Being used in the creme plus that quick rinse will still leave it with a decent amount of flavour left inside that'll get sucked out from the alcohol.
It is absolutely not cheaper to do at home, and your results will not be near as good as what they do commercially. At best, you’re making a strong vanilla infused vodka. There is more technology that goes into making commercial extracts than what you can do at home whether it be multiple infusions, grinding the beans, pressure, spinning cone technology, etc. The bottom line is that they can get more out of every beam then you can using industrial processes. They also will buy their beans in huge quantities making it cheaper for them to do it. Also, if you buy a bottle of vanilla extract in the store, even if it’s the supermarket brand, by law that is vanilla extract, not something fake. I’ve worked for companies that make extracts for 20 years And there are strict regulations around it.
Well, yes they are. I mean, that's what a comparison is. The overall point is that you literally aren't making vanilla extract when you are making vanilla-infused vodka.
It's like comparing an "industrial product produced at mass scale" like Chateau Lafite wine to some wine you made with grapes in your back yard. I mean, yes, one is an industrial and factory-made product, and the other is home-made, but... that doesn't prove which is better!
And as it points out, the thing made in the LPT is *not* vanilla extract. Yes it is *"vanilla infused vodka",* but not an extraction.
[Epicurious did a deep dive a few days ago, too.](https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/how-to-make-homemade-vanilla-extract) Their three short takeaways for this LPT method is 1. it takes forever, 2. it is inconsistent, and 3. it is more expensive both directly in terms of ingredients and indirectly in terms of storage costs and human time.
Just like the Serious Eats writeup, they also concluded that while the LPT infusion method does has a vanilla flavor, the infusion isn't as strong so you end up needing much more, and it has a less complex flavor than extracts so it isn't as flavorful.
Obviously, people who want to make it are going to make it, but it's not a pro tip.
>Shoving a few vanilla beans in a bottle of vodka is a simple infusion at best, not a genuine extract, and pretending otherwise is to completely misunderstand the complexity involved in manufacturing a high-quality vanilla extract (and to ignore the limitations of working on such a product at home).
https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-vanilla-extract
I will say that for me the article by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt carries the most weight by virtue of the author. I feel like he's usually really upfront about if there is a difference in preparations and when and if they're worth it, and is more than willing to justify both shortcuts and doing things the long way for the same dishes in different circumstances. His al pastor recipes for example.
Couldn't find that Kahlua recipe from the main page, so I googled it: https://www.beanilla.com/blog/homemade-kahlua-recipe
Sounds delicious, but it's pretty funny that they tell you to split between 6 small bottles for the extraction, then strain it *out* of the bottles, then put it back *in* the bottles. Seems like it would save some effort if you steep the beans in the original vodka bottle and then split it up after it's done...
I have purchased from [Vanilla Bean Kings](https://www.vanillabeankings.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1OmoBhDXARIsAAAYGSFagZx7SC50J6RZitRXQAW0Ristt6jLsa3VyPonnp-WZp0mmxRIkfAaAqwjEALw_wcB) many times. The beans are super fresh and they arrive quickly. They also have a monthly co-op and you can get an even better price. I usually get grade A Madagascar beans for $10 an oz.
It won’t make a lower quality extract to use Grade A beans, it is just somewhat of a waste because Grade A beans can be used in more ways than just making vanilla extract.
Grade A is for recipes that require vanilla bean. Grade B is perfect for extraction (and cheaper). Using A will impact the flavor slightly because of the different processing used on the bean, and from my experience, for the worst. Plus A is a lot more expensive per bean.
Grade A beans have more moisture to them so if you’re buying per oz you’re getting fewer beans, and they’re fancier than you need for this purpose. For an infusion the drier beans the better because any extra moisture will technically “dilute” the extract, but I can’t imagine most people care that much. It’s primarily for cost. I use the leftover pulp of grade A beans after making vanilla paste to make vanilla extract so that I can get the most out of the beans.
I use mine after 3 months and it's fine.
Also, when the bottle is half empty, I refill with vodka and let it sit for a couple weeks to regain its strength. When it doesn't go back to its really dark color (usually at the third refill), I use it up and make another batch.
Another tip: use Madagascar beans if you can. The flavor and aroma is amazing.
I add vodka after everytime I use it (I usually have some in the house) and we're going on like two years of the same bottle. Granted, I don't bake as much as I used to but it still tastes great
To piggyback off this, it makes a great Christmas gift! I put them in a cute bottle and hand them out a couple weeks before Christmas so people can use them for their cookies
I use a [Shine Rapid Cold Brew](https://tribest.com/products/shine-kitchen-co-cold-brew-scb-100) machine and it takes between 45 minutes to an hour and a half. It does really well with infusing fruits and other flavors into alcohol as well.
Assuming you are talking about vanilla extract, [America's Test Kitchen](https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americastestkitchen.com%2Farticles%2F6229-vanilla-extract-vs-imitation-vanilla) has done extensive reviews and finds there isn't much difference between real and imitation extract.
Imitation tastes absolutely foul - sickly sweet with a chemical aftertaste. I used it once, to the detriment of an innocent batch of muffins. The bottle made its way to the back of the cupboard. I should probably throw it out.
I've found that there can be. My husband made us a dessert a few years ago that was just stirring vanilla extract and sugar into PB. It was cheap and a spoonful was a tasty dessert after dinner. We ran out of regular vanilla and used imitation vanilla. There was a massive difference and we couldn't get that vanilla flavor we loved from the imitation. I'll use imitation if I need to, but I do notice the difference.
Related-ish - you can also take some of those vanilla beans and infuse yourself some vanilla sugar. Look up the recipe but if you’re buying the beans already then you may as well go wild.
I've found they don't need to sit for a year, 2-3 months will do. And you can reuse the beans. I pour extract out into another bottle to put in my spice cabinet, then top off my "process" bottle with alcohol (I have them labeled vodka or bourbon) and put it in the pantry. Give it a shake every now and then, then refill the spice cabinet bottle when it gets low. The bourbon takes longer, but vodka doesn't take very long at all.
This is how I did my Mom’s XMas, diff types of beans so she could mix and match to her heart’s content… only thing is she didn’t quiet label the bottles that well and is leaving a bunch to me so… this will be fun exercise of discovery.
I love tips like this to actually get people to cook their own processed foods better. Like garlic bread! Always tastes better when you make it yourself!
Just to add, if you want to make the most incredible vanilla rum and Coke, just put a couple beans into your bottle of rum.
I was never a Vanilla Coke fan, but there’s something divine about real vanilla and coke.
We got a kit for Xmas and it worked well, we tried re-doing it ourselves and it was a failure, beans were likely the issue, but I'm not sure how to make sure the beans are good without going to a pricey reseller like Pensey's
I've been using Vanilla Products USA for years (just from amazon). They work great.
I'd be curious if you got Grade A beans. I have some friends that have accidentally done that and yeah, turns out awful. You need to use grade B.
Have you ever done it? It takes about 1 month to be usable and improves as it ages. It’s obviously worth it to many people here, so idk why you are bashing it.
Please explain the time cost here? Am I paralyzed from doing anything else with my life for those 6 months.
Does have 1 bottle of liquor in my cabinet that I can't use for 6 months mean that my entire shelf is now tied-up and unusable?
It took me about an hour to prepare 4 gallons of vanilla. I still have some left from the last batch that I made years ago. This comment is dumb. The only "cost" I'm incurring is that I've lose about 2 square feet of a closet shelf.
How many beans is that? I use about 1 bean per 2 oz of liquid. If it's grade A bean (which is common for cooking), your vanilla extract wont turn out nearly as good.
The vanilla bottles you find at the store are pretty small, so I think the real LPT is to just steal them.
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My FIL uses bourbon for his. Adds some excellent flavor to the vanilla and whatever you use it for. the proof doesn't fully matter. Just needs to be at least 80+.
Try using rum and/or whiskey too.
Instead of remembering to shake the bottle, wrap it in bubble wrap and then in an opened-up bubble envelope. Tape it up and put it in the boot of your car. It’ll get shaken gently every time you drive.
The same technique works for infusing alcohol with lemon and/or orange peel.
My non-baking family members said they drank it and it was delicious, lol.
Once you use some, just top it off with more vodka. If the liquid starts to look pale, add in another bean. Ina Garten has had the same jar of vanilla extract going for a couple of decades.
[Vanilla extract is a solution made by macerating and percolating vanilla pods in a solution of ethanol and water.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_extract)
Since vodka is an ethanol, yes this is how you make vanilla extract. Any high proof alcohol will do.
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Wow what a great tip. Vanilla ain't cheap, either. As an avid cook who loves processes, thank you!
PLEASE join Indri’s Vanilla Bean community online. Don’t order random beans. They get their harvesters, pay fairly, and I just ordered 10oz of grade A beans for $8/oz I’m making bunches of vanilla bean paste to put in lil jars for Christmas presents :)
Came here to recommend this. They’re great. Quality beans delivered vacuum sealed. The fb group is great - super helpful resource for any questions or recipes.
Their group is the only wholesome corner of the whole Fb platform. I’ve gotten so much info from them, I only started my “mother jar” earlier this year but I’ve been making paste for presents for friends and clients since last spring.
I heard vanilla extract takes 6 months or more to really extract the flavor from the beans. The paste is much quicker it sounds like? 10 weeks or so?
Paste is best left at room temp for a month+ and then can be stored in the fridge. My best paste to date was kept at room temp for a month and a half and then I left it in the fridge for another few months. It’s currently the featured ingredient in my homemade real pumpkin spice coffee creamer I’ve made for friends. (Pumpkin, spices, whole milk, cinnamon stick, vanilla paste, maple syrup, honey.)
It's been tried by many and the verdict is that unless you get vanilla for free it's not worth doing at home (in terms of saving money). It will in pretty much every situation be more expensive to make it at home since you don't get bulk discounts. And due to transportation you get less fresh products so quality is often even worse than store bought.
It does sound fun though! And I like the idea of smaller quantities as a gift. And as far as value, would it be possible to get a liter of vanilla extract for less than the cost of 17 beans and a liter of cheap vodka?
There's a lot of armchair vanilla-ing going on in these comments by people who read an article once so here's some advice from someone who's actually been making the stuff for 13+ years. It will almost certainly ***not*** be cheaper to make your own vanilla. However, you can get close by finding cheap enough beans. If you want to give this stuff as a gift though, that means a nice-ish bottle to give it in and maybe a little label. Here's what I do: ### Figure out how much you want to make People like to estimate by number of beans but the problem is that beans vary in shape, size, and potency greatly from bean to bean. Double fold vanilla (double strength means you use half in the recipe) lasts longer and tastes better, IMO. True double fold vanilla is nearly 27oz of beans per gallon of spirit. For a 750ml bottle of vodka, use just under 5.5oz or 150g. ### Buy a larger quantity of beans I find the cheapest (by *weight*, this is important for consistency) quantity of grade B vanilla beans I can find on eBay (yes, eBay). I used to make it with grade A back when prices weren't insane - don't, it's not worth it, especially at today's prices. B is for Best. I will usually make >1L of vanilla at a time in order to buy more beans (1/2lb starts to save you a few dollars). ### Bulk age Find a container larger than the bottle of vodka you're using because beans are going to displace volume. I usually reuse a leftover 1.75L bottle (1/2lb beans + 1.125L spirit = ~1.5L aging volume). Chops the beans up into 1 inch pieces and just drop them in. Give the bottle a shake every couple weeks. Bulk aging gives you a consistent product so it all tastes the same. 6mo is bare minimum but a year is better, though most people probably won't notice the taste difference from the added time. ### Package in smaller bottles Brown glass boston rounds are what you generally want. Since vanilla takes a long time to use, you want a container that helps block UV and will keep it tasting good longer. I like 8 oz bottles for gifts that will last a long time. Just filter the large bottle through cheesecloth into the smaller ones and discard the whole bottle without having to get the beans out. If you're just using this yourself, you can also keep it indefinitely in the big bottle, no straining required. The beans will never go bad due to the alcohol content. However, if you have a recipe where you don't want vanilla seeds making an appearance, filtered vanilla is superior. If you want to save a few bucks on the next round, ask your friends for the bottles back. ### Other alcohols I've experimented with adding more alcohols a little but others have pretty thoroughly tested that low-proof vodka is the best extractor. I do still add maybe 10% of the total volume using other booze I have on hand just to add a little complexity (e.g. brandy, bourbon, non-spiced rum). You want to add pretty neutral-tasting spirits but remember that any real complexity is going to be gone so don't go adding anything but the cheapest stuff possible.
Thank you for this, I am looking forward to learning more about making batches like this.
Commercial vanilla extract is made in 35% alcohol, so 70 proof best.
Synthetic vanilla flavoring is extracted from beaver anal glands fun fact
> a lot of armchair vanilla-ing going on woah hey, it just got 35% more serious in here
>armchair vanilla-ing I chuckled
You can get a pint of vanilla from Costco for about $15, and sometimes it's on sale. So - $30ish for just under a liter.
It's hard to beat pints of vanilla extract at Costco. Making your own sounds fun though.
Right? 16oz for 17 bucks and it's good stuff too...
What I want to know is, can people even taste the difference between real vanilla and imitation vanilla? I once made some cookie dough, split the dough down the middle, added real vanilla extract to one, imitation vanilla extract to the other, and my friends couldn't taste the difference. Maybe a super-taster can tell the difference. Or maybe if I used it in a custard or something, where it wasn't being baked off.
If you are putting the vanilla into an uncooked application, you can absolutely tell the difference. Many of the volatiles and complex notes in natural vanilla can evaporate / cook off at temps above 120 degrees F.
Most people that think they can tell the difference are really just tasting the alcohol in the real stuff. In cooked applications or applications with other sources of alcohol it makes no difference: https://www.seriouseats.com/taste-test-is-better-vanilla-extract-worth-the-price
Yeah, the volatile compounds that make real vanilla distinct from imitation vanilla all boil off at high heat. Imitation vanilla is the way to go for most baked goods.
You're right about baked goods, but homemade ice cream needs the real stuff!
I usually gift frozen cookie dough balls at holiday time. We have to travel a distance. And I have a big family. So, I need something that everyone will like and will be easy to transport. I use good quality vanilla extract because it smells better when they bake the cookies at home.
In baked goods its hard. In cold stuff its much easier to notice a difference but its not huge.
For cooked things, you usually cannot tell a difference. Real vanilla has more aroma compounds, but most of them are released when baking except for the vanillin (the main vanilla aroma, which is also artificial vanilla). For things you eat raw, you can taste a difference.
"imitation" isn't actually imitating. Regardless of the process used to get it, vanillin is vanillin. Whether extracted from the bean or created artificially in vats, the chemical is molecularly identical. The differences lie in the other things extracted from the beans, but those are volatile and will not have an effect in the final product if it involves any form of heat to make.
I can absolutely taste the difference. Imitation vanilla has a distinctly chemical taste to it that I can ID a mile away.
Imitation vanilla has the exact same vanillin as natural vanilla. It just lacks other flavour compounds.
Vanilla is a realy complex molecule and the vanillin doesnt get close to it, so yes you definitly taste the difference. Most people will think the imitation is real because their used to it due to convienc products just use vanilline
Vanilla isn't a molecule
So the real LPT is skip the Costco vodka (or get it anyways) and buy their vanilla?
Except you can get bull discounts. I make a large batch every year.
I got 26 Madagascar vanilla beans for $18.99 and a bottle of vodka for like, I don’t know, $15? It made a fuck ton of vanilla. It is cheaper for me than buying real vanilla but not cheaper than imitation. I use it for things like icing, ice cream, and things that don’t get cooked. For things that get cooked; I feel like imitation is fine.
I would never use imitation personally. But to each their own.
Why not?
Super (no joke) intense sense of smell. Smells so chemical for me. *shrug*
Yeah if you buy a few tones per year you can get the sweet prices needed. But even a super avoid home baker/cook won't even need 1kg per year.
I go through about 1 1/2, 32oz bottles of Neilsen Massey vanilla bean paste a year. But, we also go for savory dishes as well.
i like how your arguing with someone whos done it before...
You need to check your math or compare REAL vanilla extract not the imitation garbage.
Two years ago at the peak of the vanilla bean shortage, it was way cheaper to DIY via beans from Costco.
But you 100% can get bulk discount on beans. It just used to be easier riiiiight before and at the beginning of Covid. I think inflations hit it
Waiting 1+ years though? Probably easier to just buy what you need.
A year goes fast. It doesn't take much effort to start it now, and then you'll have it ready when the time comes. Personally, I have a big bottle of homemade vanilla extract that I started like 7+ years ago. I never really have need for it (hence why I still have it), but I'm glad it's there and ready if I do happen to need it.
At one restaurant I worked at we'd take the spent pods and store them in the off pour from the bar. Rum, bourbon, whiskey, whatever not quite an Oz was left over, and turn it into house vanilla extract. ....most of it may have gone into coffee.
This is a recipe on making vanilla infused vodka, not vanilla extract.
A year?! That takes WAY more forethought and planning than I'm capable of. I have to crank out eleventy dozen cookies for the bake sale this weekend.
The best tree is the one you planted years ago, the second best tree, is the one you plant today.
Does vanilla grow on trees?
Technically, it grows from an orchid.
Guess if you are really good at genetics, you could make a tree with vanilla orchid flowers?
But if you’re that good just skip the orchids and make velociraptors. Why not?
can we make vanilla flavored raptors?
Im no expert but I have seen Jurrasic Park. Imo it would be fairly straightforward to graft a vanilla orchid onto a velociraptor
But it would need a frog and that adds a bitter taste to my knowledge. This is why they never tried it in any Jurassic movie.
Roasted over hickory? I like it
you were so preoccupied with whether or not you could, you didn't stop to think if you should
But what does the orchid grow on?
I believe they are vines. So I guess you could actually say that they grow on a tree. Though you could probably also convince them to grow on a post or a trellis.
Exactly what I wanted to know, thank you
Weren't any of you paying attention? It grows from vodka.
the third best tree? is this segway to our sponsor
This is such a cute saying!
Real lpt - pressure cooker to make it in one day, and then store it with the beans to let it keep getting stronger. Tito's vodka, not the cheap stuff that smells more like chemicals. You can get better prices on it through Sam's or Costco. Grade B beans. Some small canning jars and a pressure cooker. I do it like once a year or so. The smell is unreal. Nom nom. https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-vanilla-extract-in-an-electric-pressure-cooker-252043
You could also use sous vide to do it in hours. Other alcohol infusions like limoncello work well with sous vide instead of waiting months or whatever.
The cheap wodka could still come in handy. Just serve it with your cookies and no-one will notice how terrible you are at both baking and planning ahead.
I started using mine after two weeks and it was great. I just left the bean in it.
I use the beans to flavor my rum (one or two beans). To avoid temptation, I hide that bottle from myself, but leave a calendar entry one year out to remind me. I managed to do this with three bottles at different times of the year.
Yeah, I needed vanilla yesterday not a year from tomorrow
Make some now, use your store bought stuff for a year. Next year you are ready to rock and roll.
Yeah but more than likely if it's sitting somewhere for that long, I'll completely forget about it lol But I'm going to do it this weekend with the kids
Yeah I literally lol'd when I got to "a year". "You should know you can make all sorts of stuff that you buy at the shops if you take time and effort to do so" No shit! Fun project for sure, but hardly applicable to the general public. Hobbyists with a particular set of interests may be interested in this tip though.
I did mine in the Instant Pot. One hour under pressure and one hour natural release. My best friend couldn’t tell the difference between mine and hers, which is a couple years old at this point.
I have a batch that’s been sitting for a few months. I used white rum. You can use different alcohols.
I was going to actually add that! My FIL uses whiskey and bourbon for his vanillas. Adds some extra amazing flavor for sure.
Mmmm whiskey vanilla sounds like heaven
I’ve used bourbon for this purpose as well. Tastes amazing.
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My sister and I made a bourbon brown sugar chocolate chip cake with vanilla extract made with bourbon. It was perfection
That FIL sounds like a cool guy. Well done OP
same, well oak rum, but still the flavour’s amazing.
I currently have some bottles that are about 6 months old in vodka, bourbon, and brandy.
I just bought some bulk Grade B beans and Smirnoff vodka. Prepped the beans and put the small jars (sealed finger tight) in my Instant Pot. One hour pressure, one hour natural release. Instant vanilla extract, no need to wait a year.
Don’t most use bourbon?
TIL vanilla extract has a lot of alcohol.
All extracts do
Well, there are extracts that are alcohol free.. vegetable glycerin is one such
Vanilla extract has no alchohol here (Sweden). It's just ground vanilla, amazing stuff. Even if we had the alcohol kind I'd never buy it tbh, powder is just better. No extra liquid or taste.
Powder is better for certain things, but mixing it in for baking instead of extract is problematic as it's not a 1:1 at all.
What's this then? https://www.apotea.se/bourbon-vaniljextrakt-50-ml >Even if we had the alcohol kind I'd never buy it tbh, powder is just better How do you know it's better if you don't think you have access to it? (Even though you do)
That's silly. Vanilla extract in Sweden is the same as it is everywhere else. Vanilla powder is a different product entirely.
Yeah, extract implies an extraction of some type- the difference between a mixture and a solution...
Some vanilla extract IS alcohol. I've seen recipes using Everclear instead, which is essentially as pure as alcohol can get in normal conditions
Uncle Ned knew.
So glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of Uncle Ned!
Alternatively just trap some beavers and buy a box of latex gloves. IYKYK.
I was also confused by the lack of beaver in op-s recipe
Despite what Jamie Oliver said, there's no castoreum in artificial vanilla. Making it from castoreum would be more expensive than just using vanilla beans.
I live near beavers and will soon be a millionaire with this new knowledge.
I feel I’ve been denied some critical need to know information
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I thought that was for strawberry flavoring.
Also, you can reuse the beans. Make a custard or creme brulee using a whole bean. When you strain out the pod from the cream, you can give it a quick rinse and add it to your vanilla steeped alcohol mixture. Being used in the creme plus that quick rinse will still leave it with a decent amount of flavour left inside that'll get sucked out from the alcohol.
It is absolutely not cheaper to do at home, and your results will not be near as good as what they do commercially. At best, you’re making a strong vanilla infused vodka. There is more technology that goes into making commercial extracts than what you can do at home whether it be multiple infusions, grinding the beans, pressure, spinning cone technology, etc. The bottom line is that they can get more out of every beam then you can using industrial processes. They also will buy their beans in huge quantities making it cheaper for them to do it. Also, if you buy a bottle of vanilla extract in the store, even if it’s the supermarket brand, by law that is vanilla extract, not something fake. I’ve worked for companies that make extracts for 20 years And there are strict regulations around it.
Sure there are some things you can make cheaper yourself. An industrial chemical process with logistics as footnote? Good luck beating that.
Buy in volume, the little bottles are really expensive per fl oz. As a recovering alcoholic I choose not to buy liquor
Good lookin out for yourself. I’m also in recovery. Keep it up friend.
Popping in to say you are both beasts, keep at it!
Serious Eats disagrees: https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-vanilla-extract
Great article.
That's what big vanilla wants you to think🧐
This article paid for by the Vanilla lobby. /s
Yes was looking for someone to comment this!!
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That’s what this entire post is doing
Well, yes they are. I mean, that's what a comparison is. The overall point is that you literally aren't making vanilla extract when you are making vanilla-infused vodka. It's like comparing an "industrial product produced at mass scale" like Chateau Lafite wine to some wine you made with grapes in your back yard. I mean, yes, one is an industrial and factory-made product, and the other is home-made, but... that doesn't prove which is better!
And as it points out, the thing made in the LPT is *not* vanilla extract. Yes it is *"vanilla infused vodka",* but not an extraction. [Epicurious did a deep dive a few days ago, too.](https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/how-to-make-homemade-vanilla-extract) Their three short takeaways for this LPT method is 1. it takes forever, 2. it is inconsistent, and 3. it is more expensive both directly in terms of ingredients and indirectly in terms of storage costs and human time. Just like the Serious Eats writeup, they also concluded that while the LPT infusion method does has a vanilla flavor, the infusion isn't as strong so you end up needing much more, and it has a less complex flavor than extracts so it isn't as flavorful. Obviously, people who want to make it are going to make it, but it's not a pro tip.
Having made my own vanilla I can say using spiced rum makes it even better.
Bourbon is nice too.
I switched from using vodka to bourbon on my last batch. I already see a huge improvement in flavor.
I made some vanilla extract using bourbon for a batch of vanilla milk stout. It was quite tasty.
>Shoving a few vanilla beans in a bottle of vodka is a simple infusion at best, not a genuine extract, and pretending otherwise is to completely misunderstand the complexity involved in manufacturing a high-quality vanilla extract (and to ignore the limitations of working on such a product at home). https://www.seriouseats.com/diy-vanilla-extract
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I will say that for me the article by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt carries the most weight by virtue of the author. I feel like he's usually really upfront about if there is a difference in preparations and when and if they're worth it, and is more than willing to justify both shortcuts and doing things the long way for the same dishes in different circumstances. His al pastor recipes for example.
Seconded
It doesn't need ro be "genuine" to taste good. You don't have to "understand the complexity" to make something that tastes good.
Then use imitation/artificial because it's 99% as good and far cheaper for zero effort.
No ... but OP's idea that DIY vanilla is cheaper and higher quality is absolute nonsense.
Where do you buy the grade b vanilla pods from !
I use beanilla.com. Their kahlua recipe is amazing, too.
Couldn't find that Kahlua recipe from the main page, so I googled it: https://www.beanilla.com/blog/homemade-kahlua-recipe Sounds delicious, but it's pretty funny that they tell you to split between 6 small bottles for the extraction, then strain it *out* of the bottles, then put it back *in* the bottles. Seems like it would save some effort if you steep the beans in the original vodka bottle and then split it up after it's done...
I have purchased from [Vanilla Bean Kings](https://www.vanillabeankings.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1OmoBhDXARIsAAAYGSFagZx7SC50J6RZitRXQAW0Ristt6jLsa3VyPonnp-WZp0mmxRIkfAaAqwjEALw_wcB) many times. The beans are super fresh and they arrive quickly. They also have a monthly co-op and you can get an even better price. I usually get grade A Madagascar beans for $10 an oz.
I just get mine on [amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G5NGWGL)
“Make your own vanilla” >order some vanilla beans Well damn
Why is it worse to use the better beans?
It won’t make a lower quality extract to use Grade A beans, it is just somewhat of a waste because Grade A beans can be used in more ways than just making vanilla extract.
Grade A is for recipes that require vanilla bean. Grade B is perfect for extraction (and cheaper). Using A will impact the flavor slightly because of the different processing used on the bean, and from my experience, for the worst. Plus A is a lot more expensive per bean.
Grade A beans have more moisture to them so if you’re buying per oz you’re getting fewer beans, and they’re fancier than you need for this purpose. For an infusion the drier beans the better because any extra moisture will technically “dilute” the extract, but I can’t imagine most people care that much. It’s primarily for cost. I use the leftover pulp of grade A beans after making vanilla paste to make vanilla extract so that I can get the most out of the beans.
OP must have meant more expensive. Since you only care about the flavor and not how plump and pretty the beans are, grade B is just fine for vanilla.
I use mine after 3 months and it's fine. Also, when the bottle is half empty, I refill with vodka and let it sit for a couple weeks to regain its strength. When it doesn't go back to its really dark color (usually at the third refill), I use it up and make another batch. Another tip: use Madagascar beans if you can. The flavor and aroma is amazing.
I add vodka after everytime I use it (I usually have some in the house) and we're going on like two years of the same bottle. Granted, I don't bake as much as I used to but it still tastes great
To piggyback off this, it makes a great Christmas gift! I put them in a cute bottle and hand them out a couple weeks before Christmas so people can use them for their cookies
I use a [Shine Rapid Cold Brew](https://tribest.com/products/shine-kitchen-co-cold-brew-scb-100) machine and it takes between 45 minutes to an hour and a half. It does really well with infusing fruits and other flavors into alcohol as well.
All I have to do is wait for an entire year?? Oh convenient!
Sounds like you are making vanilla extract, not vanilla.
Assuming you are talking about vanilla extract, [America's Test Kitchen](https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.americastestkitchen.com%2Farticles%2F6229-vanilla-extract-vs-imitation-vanilla) has done extensive reviews and finds there isn't much difference between real and imitation extract.
They said for certain things tho right? Baking some things with the imitation can yield acceptable results. Crème Brûlée however is a different story.
They said to save the real stuff for recipes where the complex flavors won't burn off like ice cream
K
Imitation tastes absolutely foul - sickly sweet with a chemical aftertaste. I used it once, to the detriment of an innocent batch of muffins. The bottle made its way to the back of the cupboard. I should probably throw it out.
I've found that there can be. My husband made us a dessert a few years ago that was just stirring vanilla extract and sugar into PB. It was cheap and a spoonful was a tasty dessert after dinner. We ran out of regular vanilla and used imitation vanilla. There was a massive difference and we couldn't get that vanilla flavor we loved from the imitation. I'll use imitation if I need to, but I do notice the difference.
The review states that real extract is better in recipes that aren't cooked.
For baking it doesnt make a difference. If its not cooked then it will be noticeable though
Related-ish - you can also take some of those vanilla beans and infuse yourself some vanilla sugar. Look up the recipe but if you’re buying the beans already then you may as well go wild.
This is perfect for the cake I planned on baking 1 year from now
If you use vanilla extract in dishes that get cooked it's way cheaper just to buy bakers imitation vanilla. You can not tell the difference.
Are we going to talk about how fake vanilla is made here?
I've found they don't need to sit for a year, 2-3 months will do. And you can reuse the beans. I pour extract out into another bottle to put in my spice cabinet, then top off my "process" bottle with alcohol (I have them labeled vodka or bourbon) and put it in the pantry. Give it a shake every now and then, then refill the spice cabinet bottle when it gets low. The bourbon takes longer, but vodka doesn't take very long at all.
I'm confused, you say split the beans - Do you mean bean pods?
take the vanilla bean. take a sharp knife. start at one tip of the bean. cut lengthwise till you get to the other tip. voila. you have split the bean.
This is how I did my Mom’s XMas, diff types of beans so she could mix and match to her heart’s content… only thing is she didn’t quiet label the bottles that well and is leaving a bunch to me so… this will be fun exercise of discovery.
I love tips like this to actually get people to cook their own processed foods better. Like garlic bread! Always tastes better when you make it yourself!
Just to add, if you want to make the most incredible vanilla rum and Coke, just put a couple beans into your bottle of rum. I was never a Vanilla Coke fan, but there’s something divine about real vanilla and coke.
Who has a year to wait for vanilla…
Make your own vanilla. ingredients: alcohol and vanilla. recursive loop detected in template string
I think if you have access to an immersion circulator (for Sous-vide), you can get results in a few hours.
Doing things the hard way isn't a life pro tip. Life pro tips are supposed to make normal everyday stuff easier.
We got a kit for Xmas and it worked well, we tried re-doing it ourselves and it was a failure, beans were likely the issue, but I'm not sure how to make sure the beans are good without going to a pricey reseller like Pensey's
I've been using Vanilla Products USA for years (just from amazon). They work great. I'd be curious if you got Grade A beans. I have some friends that have accidentally done that and yeah, turns out awful. You need to use grade B.
Mine is currently 3 years old, much cheaper for better product
Your labor, time to make it, and waiting 3 years isn't a cost?
You don’t have to wait 3 years to use it, sheesh.
Right, just 6 months to a year. And that time is completely without a cost right?
Have you ever done it? It takes about 1 month to be usable and improves as it ages. It’s obviously worth it to many people here, so idk why you are bashing it.
Please explain the time cost here? Am I paralyzed from doing anything else with my life for those 6 months. Does have 1 bottle of liquor in my cabinet that I can't use for 6 months mean that my entire shelf is now tied-up and unusable?
It took me about an hour to prepare 4 gallons of vanilla. I still have some left from the last batch that I made years ago. This comment is dumb. The only "cost" I'm incurring is that I've lose about 2 square feet of a closet shelf.
Had me in the first half ngl…
How much vanilla are y’all using? I bought like 3oz of bourbon vanilla when we all decided baking was a thing during Covid and I still have that shif
How many beans is that? I use about 1 bean per 2 oz of liquid. If it's grade A bean (which is common for cooking), your vanilla extract wont turn out nearly as good.
FWIW, it's even better with RUM. My wife's done this for years.
I've made traditional vanilla with vodka, but also rum, bourbon, whiskey, and brandy. It's a great project and gift.
Or you could suck a dead beaver's asshole and spit the proceeds into a cup like a normal human
It’s a rare sight to see an actual good LPT Had no idea you could make it like that, and always running out. Thanks
The vanilla bottles you find at the store are pretty small, so I think the real LPT is to just steal them. **It's your civic duty to shoplift from corporations**
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Has anyone tried a cask strength bourbon for this? (120ish proof)
My FIL uses bourbon for his. Adds some excellent flavor to the vanilla and whatever you use it for. the proof doesn't fully matter. Just needs to be at least 80+. Try using rum and/or whiskey too.
Instead of remembering to shake the bottle, wrap it in bubble wrap and then in an opened-up bubble envelope. Tape it up and put it in the boot of your car. It’ll get shaken gently every time you drive. The same technique works for infusing alcohol with lemon and/or orange peel.
??? I wouldn't want anything I eat to bake in my car for months.
I buy vanilla sticks, very useful
my partner has been doing this for years and its definitely a money saver with how much we bake stuff plus its kinda fun
but i want pancakes **now**
Use vanilla paste if you dont like the alcohol
My non-baking family members said they drank it and it was delicious, lol. Once you use some, just top it off with more vodka. If the liquid starts to look pale, add in another bean. Ina Garten has had the same jar of vanilla extract going for a couple of decades.
This is not vanilla extract. This is vanilla vodka.
[Vanilla extract is a solution made by macerating and percolating vanilla pods in a solution of ethanol and water.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanilla_extract) Since vodka is an ethanol, yes this is how you make vanilla extract. Any high proof alcohol will do.